TStringGrid.sorted

Procedure SortGrid(AGrid : TStringGrid; ColIndex : Integer; SortOrder : Boolean);
//SortOrder=true->Ascending,SortOrder=False->Descending
//works only, if there is no comma in a cell
//first row is excluded from the sort
var
  SL : TStringList;
  I  : Integer;
begin
  if (assigned(AGrid)) and
     (ColIndex > -1) and
     (ColIndex < AGrid.ColCount) then
  begin
    SL := TStringList.Create;
    try
      SL.Sorted := true;
      For I := 0 to AGrid.RowCount - 1 do
        SL.Add(AGrid.Cells[ColIndex,I]+'|'+AGrid.Rows[i].CommaText);
      Case SortOrder of
        True : For I := 0 to SL.Count - 1 do
                 AGrid.Rows[I].CommaText := Copy(SL[I],pos('|',SL[I])+1,MaxLongInt);
       False : For I := SL.Count - 1 downto 0 do
                 AGrid.Rows[SL.Count  - I].CommaText := Copy(SL[I],pos('|',SL[I])+1,MaxLongInt);
      end;
    finally
      sl.free;
    end;
  end;
end;


//Sort third col, asc
procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
begin
  SortGrid(StringGrid1,2,True);
end;

//Sort secon col desc
procedure TForm1.Button2Click(Sender: TObject);
begin
  SortGrid(StringGrid1,1,False);
end;

meikl

another sample, without the comma-restriction is also available, if needed

Can you post it here?!?!

Thanks!
VSF

well, here it is, including also a sample of a customsortroutine

unit stringgridsort_u;

interface

uses
  Windows, Messages, SysUtils, Classes, Graphics, Controls, Forms, Dialogs,
  StdCtrls, Grids;

type
  TForm1 = class(TForm)
    StringGrid1: TStringGrid;
    Button1: TButton;
    CheckBox1: TCheckBox;
    procedure StringGrid1MouseDown(Sender: TObject; Button: TMouseButton;
      Shift: TShiftState; X, Y: Integer);
    procedure Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
    procedure StringGrid1DrawCell(Sender: TObject; ACol, ARow: Integer;
      Rect: TRect; State: TGridDrawState);
  private
    FSortedColIndex : Integer;
    FSortOrder      : Boolean;
  public
    { Public declarations }
  end;

var
  Form1: TForm1;

implementation

{$R *.DFM}

Var AsIntegerFlag : Boolean;

Function SpecialSort(List: TStringList; Index1, Index2: Integer): Integer;
begin
  Result := 0;
  try
    case AsIntegerFlag of
      //AnsiSort
      False : If List[Index1] < List[Index2] then Result := -1
              else If List[Index1] > List[Index2] then Result := 1;
      //IntegerSort
      True  : If StrToInt(List[Index1]) < StrToInt(List[Index2]) then Result := -1
              else If StrToInt(List[Index1]) > StrToInt(List[Index2]) then Result := 1;
    end;
  except
    Result := 0;  //No Sort on Error;
  end;
end;


Procedure SortGrid(AGrid : TStringGrid; ColIndex : Integer; SortOrder : Boolean;
                   //Optional Parameters
                   UseCustomSort : Boolean = False;
                   CustomSortProc : TStringListSortCompare = Nil);
//SortOrder=true->Ascending,SortOrder=False->Descending
//first row is excluded from the sort
var
  SL : TStringList;
  ARow : TStringList;
  I  : Integer;
begin
  if (assigned(AGrid)) and
     (ColIndex > -1) and
     (ColIndex < AGrid.ColCount) then
  begin
     SL := TStringList.Create;
    try
      For I := 1 to AGrid.RowCount - 1 do
      begin
        ARow := TStringList.Create;
        ARow.Assign(AGrid.Rows[i]);
        SL.AddObject(AGrid.Cells[ColIndex,I],ARow);
      end;
      if useCustomSort and assigned(CustomSortProc) then
      try
        SL.CustomSort(CustomSortProc);  //Userdefined sort
      except
        raise;
      end
      else
        SL.Sorted := true; //AnsiCompareString
      Case SortOrder of
        True : For I := 0 to SL.Count - 1 do
                 if Assigned(SL.Objects[I]) then
                   AGrid.Rows[I+1].Assign(TStringList(SL.Objects[I]));
       False : For I := SL.Count - 1  downto 0 do
                 if Assigned(SL.Objects[I]) then
                   AGrid.Rows[AGrid.RowCount - I - 1].Assign(TStringList(SL.Objects[I]));
      end;
    finally
      for I := 0 to sl.count-1 do
        if Assigned(SL.Objects[I]) then
        begin
          TStringList(SL.Objects[I]).Free;
          SL.Objects[I] := Nil;
        end;
      sl.free;
    end;
  end;
end;

Function RandomString(Lngth : Integer; CharSet : TSysCharset) : String;
var C : Char;
begin
  Result := '';
  if (lngth > 0) and not (CharSet = []) then
    while length(Result) < lngth do
    begin
      Repeat
        C := Chr(Random(255));
      Until C in CharSet;
      Result := Result + C;
    end;
end;



procedure TForm1.StringGrid1MouseDown(Sender: TObject;
 Button: TMouseButton; Shift: TShiftState; X, Y: Integer);
var
  ACol,ARow : Integer;
  ASortProc : TStringListSortCompare;
begin
  ASortProc := SpecialSort;
  StringGrid1.MouseToCell(x,y,ACol,ARow);
  AsIntegerFlag := ACol in [1,2];
  if (ARow = 0) and
     (ACol > 0) and
     (Acol < StringGrid1.RowCount) then
    if Button =  mbleft then
    begin
      FSortedColIndex := ACol;
      FSortOrder := True;
      SortGrid(StringGrid1,ACol,True,Checkbox1.Checked,ASortProc)  //asc on columntitle-leftclick
    end
    else
    begin
      FSortedColIndex := ACol;
      FSortOrder := False;
      SortGrid(StringGrid1,ACol,False,Checkbox1.Checked,ASortProc);//Desc on columntitle-rightclick
    end;
end;

//Create a unsorted content
procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
var I : Integer;
begin
  StringGrid1.RowCount := 10001;
  StringGrid1.ColCount := 7;
  for i := 1 to 6 do
    StringGrid1.Cells[I,0] := Randomstring(5,['0'..'9','A'..'Z','a'..'z']);
  for i := 1 to 10000 do
  begin
    StringGrid1.Cells[1,I] := IntToStr(I);
    StringGrid1.Cells[2,I] := IntToStr(10001-I);
    StringGrid1.Cells[3,I] := Randomstring(10,['A'..'Z']);
    StringGrid1.Cells[4,I] := Randomstring(10,['0'..'9','A'..'Z','a'..'z']);
    StringGrid1.Cells[5,I] := Randomstring(10,[#0..#255]);
    StringGrid1.Cells[6,I] := '1000';
  end;
end;


//Draw a triangle
procedure TForm1.StringGrid1DrawCell(Sender: TObject; ACol, ARow: Integer;
  Rect: TRect; State: TGridDrawState);
const CMargin = 5;
begin
  If (ARow = 0) and (ACol = FSortedColIndex) then  //FSortedColIndex->the col, which is sorted
  case FSortOrder of
    true : begin  //Ascending
             StringGrid1.Canvas.Pen.Color := clbtnShadow;
             StringGrid1.Canvas.MoveTo(Rect.Right-CMargin,Rect.Top+CMargin);
             StringGrid1.Canvas.LineTo(Rect.Right-7-CMargin,Rect.Top+CMargin);
             StringGrid1.Canvas.LineTo(Rect.Right-4-CMargin,Rect.Top+7+CMargin);
             StringGrid1.Canvas.Pen.Color := clBtnHighLight;
             StringGrid1.Canvas.LineTo(Rect.Right-CMargin,Rect.Top+CMargin);
           end;
   false : begin  //Descending
             StringGrid1.Canvas.Pen.Color := clBtnHighLight;
             StringGrid1.Canvas.MoveTo(Rect.Right-4-CMargin,Rect.Top+CMargin);
             StringGrid1.Canvas.LineTo(Rect.Right-CMargin,Rect.Top+7+CMargin);
             StringGrid1.Canvas.LineTo(Rect.Right-7-CMargin,Rect.Top+7+CMargin);
             StringGrid1.Canvas.Pen.Color := clbtnShadow;
             StringGrid1.Canvas.LineTo(Rect.Right-4-CMargin,Rect.Top+CMargin);
           end;
  end;
end;

initialization
  Randomize;
end.

meikl ;-)

this would cause that the rows becomes mixed,
because only the column is sorted but not the row

sample effect

unsorted
2 4
1 5
7 6
4 8

sorted by the proposed answer
1 4
2 5
4 6
7 8

sorted by my sample(s)
1 5
2 4
4 8
7 6

meikl ;-)

just to say RUSTOM its not a good fair style to answer a q,
if there are already comments of a solution are given.

specially that (i guess) your answer isn't the solution, which is needed, except the grid does have only one column

meikl ;-)

RUSTOM->RUSTAM

sorry, for the typo :-)

The way I did it was similar to that suggested by Meikl, but because the grid was a fixed 4 columns wide and only needed to sort A-Z on column 0 it didn't have to be as flexible. (Just a few 'quick & dirty' lines of inflexible code.)
It seemed to be so crude and an unnecessary complication so I was looking for an elegant one liner that must surely exist, because as Rustam points out the StringGrid code is probably only an array of stringLists.
I was hoping that instead of doing something odd like removing the sort, Borland just forgot to include the syntax in the help system. ie, it just needed someone in the know to reveal the syntax of how to access it and still maintain the integrity of the rows.
I agree Meikl, that locking an answer with previous comments un-assessed is unusual, perhaps Rustam is new to EE.
I looks like I'll have to keep my existing messy code so I'll accept the answer and post points to meikl as well.